Chinese officials are joining the worldwide outcry over the latest shift in U.S. trade policy.

Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, pushed back Thursday against recent moves by the Trump administration that have sparked worries about a global trade war.

His comments came as President Donald Trump is expected to sign a decree this week that lays out his plan for tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. The much-anticipated signing could come as soon as Thursday afternoon.

Wang offered the following warning about how Beijing might act if a trade war breaks out, according to multiple reports:

‘China would have to make a justified and necessary response.’
—Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on trade

“A trade war is never the right solution,” Wang also said, according to a Bloomberg report. “In a globalized world, it is particularly unhelpful, as it will harm both the initiator and the target countries.”

Concerns about a possible global trade war have intensified in part due to the resignation late Tuesday of Gary Cohn, who had been a pro-trade White House adviser. Trade-war fears have weighed on markets this month, leaving the Dow Jones Industrial Average
DJIA, +0.50%down 0.9% so far in March.

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